


Move

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Businessmen, F/M, Fluff, Song Lyrics, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 00:51:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16545650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: Ben - a lover of his personal space - joins a new company, only to meet his opposite in every way: Rey, the most touchy-feely girl around, who also happens to be in charge of IT. Are all the computer problems a curse, or a blessing in disguise?





	Move

**Author's Note:**

> No, I don't own Star Wars, or the song that inspired this fic, Move by Saint Motel. This was prompted by the Drabble Me This prompts as a part of the Reylo Fic Recs group on Facebook, with a photomanip by The Apple is the Fruit. I love this song, so don't mind all the fluffy goodness. I hope you enjoy it!

“ _ This man, this dutiful man has got this sense of devotion.” _

 

“Think of your family, Ben.”

 

“Yes, Mother, I am,” he sighed over dinner, the familiar topic grating on his nerves. 

 

“Your current  _ and  _ future family,” she replied, earning her a stormy look.

 

“You  _ are _ going to marry, aren't you? Your mother wants grandchildren, especially a granddaughter,” said his father a week later. “Don't wait for a mate; they're becoming more and more rare.”

 

“You have a lot of nerve-”

 

“I was lucky. You may not be is all I'm saying,” replied Han, trying to defuse the situation that was his son getting touchy about his lack of mate…. Again.

 

Ben sat back down and lowered his voice.

 

“I have a mate. I'm sure of it. I'm not going to insult her by marrying prematurely. I'm going to wait for her, to find someone else who likes their personal space, just like me.”

 

“Everyone likes some type of personal touch.”

 

“No, I'll  _ never _ need or want it,” declared Ben hotly.

 

“Everyone needs some. Maybe a mate would make you like it for once,” said Han with a smile as Ben shook his head and sighed at the ridiculous notion.  _ This  _ was why he had been away so long, to avoid the family that avoided and didn't understand him as a result. He was certain his mate would understand. 

  
” _ One look, one touch of a hand can set the spiral in motion.” _

 

Soulmates for every person used to be the norm…..until they weren't. Ben came from a long line of people who all had soulmates, and one day, he would find the woman for him. He'd wait as long as needed. 

 

The only problem, of course, was to find your mate, you had to touch hands. Bare hands at that. The moment the skin-to-skin contact occurred was when you just  _ knew  _ if you had found your mate. No one could quite explain it, and it was different for each person.

 

Han and Leia had described it as a hot, overwhelming feeling, similar to hate at first touch, but stronger. Anakin and Padme had experienced love at first touch. 

 

Everyone wanted to touch another person. There were big events set up citywide to facilitate discovery of mates. It didn't matter for Ben, though, because he hated being touched by others. He was a pariah for avoiding people and physical touch. He didn't care because he was certain there was someone out there who would hate it as much as him.

 

What he refused to acknowledge or think about was that it was hard to know a mate if neither wanted the touch.

  
_ “I want it, can't have it. Oh, I can hardly stand it. Oh, what's a man to do?” _

 

He had a soulless job at First Order Finances. He crunched numbers and was the best and hardest worker around since he loved numbers, didn't like to socialize, and didn't have a mate. He waited patiently and sought out other people at company parties and family events who had a similar hate. He was going on thirty now, and he still hadn't found that person despite much travel and searching online. He was the grumpiest person at the office. Even Snoke smiled more than him.   
  
“ _ Gotta get up; I gotta get up. Move!” _

 

But his job situation didn't last long. When Snoke was arrested for money laundering, Ben lost his job. He would've stayed without a job from the taint of Snoke were it not for his father and Uncle Chewie happening to talk to the owner of Canata Trade and Enterprises.

 

“When I mentioned to Maz that you had lost your job and that you still hadn't found your mate due to your…. Odd tendencies, Maz seemed ecstatic. She's looking for a new head of accounting.”

 

After an interview, he was surprised by Maz's enthusiasm. 

 

“So, when can you start? Tomorrow?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good. I lost my last guy because he wanted to be a stay at home dad for his twins. Honorable but unfortunate for me. You're unmated and very good at what you do. You'll be a great asset. Just don't be surprised that almost everyone is wary of you and is already mated. For some reason, many find their mates here or while working for me,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

 

“Everyone disliked me at my last job. I'm not worried,” he replied. “I'll be the exception to your mating experience. I doubt you have anyone like me working for you.”

 

“You're right. Only someone who is the complete opposite,” replied Maz with a grin. “You'll want to look out for Rey, our head of IT. If your computer doesn't work well, go to her. She can fix anything. Just don't be surprised when you discover she's the most huggy and touchy-feely person you've ever met.”

 

He cringed and groaned internally. “I'm going to actively avoid her. I don't like to be touched. She must have abandonment issues or something if she's still unmated.”

 

“Whatever it may be, she's the most beloved member of my company. You'll like her, too,” said Maz with certainty, getting up to open the door for him.

 

“That’s doubtful. There are two extremes in what people think of me, and I act in much the same way.”

 

Maz shrugged but continued to smile as he left.

  
“ _ This girl, this beautiful girl with eyes the size of the ocean.” _

 

Rey Johnson got the request for a new computer and an access request for everything later that day for a Ben Solo. She had met Han Solo and his wife before, a happy couple despite all the yelling and punches they exchanged. Apparently, punching was their way of showing their love for one another. It made her wonder what Ben was like and how he was related. For him to work outside the family shipping business was odd.

 

Nonetheless, she was determined to be nice to him, as she doubted anyone else would be based on the rumors. Working for Snoke made him untrustworthy, but Maz seemed to disagree.

 

The next morning, she had just hugged and greeted Finn and was walking down the hall to get coffee when a tall, black-haired man turned the corner. He was unknown to her, which automatically made him Ben, but it was his face that sealed the deal. It was striking and had many similarities to Han Solo, and given how young he was, she guessed him to be the wayward son that was estranged from his parents.

 

She understood not having family well since she had been in the foster care system. She felt compassion for him immediately and surged forward to greet him, a warm smile on her face. She stopped when she was close to him, and she could see his eyes clearly. They were dark, expressive and clearly upset about something. She put out her hand to shake.

 

“Hi, I'm Rey. I'm in IT. If you can't log in to something, just call me. You must be Ben, our newest coworker.”

 

He stood there and glared down at her hand before he looked up, his eyes gluing her to her spot. Her mouth went dry as his eyes bore into hers while he tried to understand how someone could have such clear, big eyes while greeting him.

 

“Why are you being nice to me?” he asked skeptically.

 

“Because everyone deserves a second chance,” she replied without skipping a beat. “Don't you want one?”

 

“Yes, but I thought I'd have to earn it,” he said, looking around for others.

 

“You will from everyone else,” she said matter-of-factly, pulling her hand back and patting him on his sleeve-covered arm instead.

 

It was the strangest thing, that slight touch of the tips of her fingers on his arm. He was ashamed and surprised to admit that it wasn't the worst thing he had ever felt. It was a betrayal of his mate, but he couldn't help himself for one brief moment. His arm leaned into her while her hand attempted to grasp him.

 

As her hand gripped maybe half (less truly) of his bicep, she felt a tingling warmth fill her. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt, until he came to his senses and yanked his whole body away from her, a mask of fury on his face. His eyes were hard and cold, and everything within Rey became cold. She felt even more alone than ever before, and she felt indignant that he would stop whatever it was that had been happening in that moment.

 

“Why did you do that?” he rumbled, his whole being leaning down to scare her. 

 

Confusion and fear flitted across her face. “Because I was trying to be friendly-”

 

“Don't bother. I don't have friends. I don't want them, especially if they only do it to try to make up for something missing from your childhood,” he said, his voice low and condescending.

 

Her head jerked up.

 

“Excuse me? What are you trying to suggest?” she said, pulling herself up to her full height, no longer afraid and now defensive. Their faces could've almost touched, but she ignored that curious little pull to close the distance. There was only an angry young man presuming to know her.

 

“Were you abandoned as a child?” he sneered. 

 

She opened and closed her mouth before she could think of a proper, work-appropriate response.

 

“That has no place here-”

 

“Ah, you were,” he said, smug at having guessed right. “You didn't even try to deny it. Don't look for love and affection from me.”

 

“Why? Because you reject the love of your own family, a family who has always cared about you?” she demanded, her voice becoming louder.

 

He stopped before stumbling and saying, “That is not appropriate-”

 

“It most certainly is if you're going to bring up my family, or lack of it. Can't you handle what you dish out?” she asked, a fire in her eyes.

 

“I can, but they have-”

 

He stopped as his mind wandered. He hadn't really considered why it was that he had hated it for so long, but images floated across his mind for a time, so long that Rey almost snapped her fingers to bring him back to her. 

 

“So they do,” he said, his eyes snapping back up to her. “I'll at least admit it, that every touch always seemed forced and unwelcome. Fake since they were away so much. It made me dread anything from my parents. Can you admit the same, that your lack of parents made you like this?”

 

Rey was shaken for a moment by the raw, honest truth in his eyes. The hurt shone in his expressive eyes, and she wanted to reach out to him yet again. She knew that hurt so well.

 

“I, I-”

 

“I didn't think so,” he said before turning around and storming haughtily back to the his office.

 

He quickly discovered that he was hated by everyone by the end of the first day. Some wanted him to apologize to Rey, and others just wanted him to leave. He didn't want to interact with Rey again, though. He wasn't prepared for that mixture of feelings when he got close to her, that strong pull of  _ something  _ as he leaned in, of excitement and dread filling him at having her so close to him. 

  
“ _ This man, this dutiful man has got this mixed up emotions.” _

 

Alas, he couldn't escape her. Within a few days of arriving, he had computer issues. He was locked out of his account, and so he had to call Rey. It took a whole day of tense phone calls before it was resolved. When he had connectivity issues with the internet, she had to make multiple trips to his office to fix it since she had hated fielding phone calls with him. It was the most uncomfortable he had ever been as she stood close by.

 

Rey watched him as he seemed to cringe and actively avoid her whenever she entered his small office. There was fear in his eyes, and now that she knew from Maz that he hated being touched or having anyone close to him, she felt a little bad about it, but didn't care. He had been rude. He would survive.

 

That opinion didn't last long, however. When Finn noticed at the end of one day that Ben seemed to hate being close to Rey, Ben suddenly started losing parts of his computer and having more IT issues. Suddenly, Rey was visiting his office at least three times a week in between all the other visits she made to problematic computers. After a couple weeks, she felt bad for him more than anything else.

 

After a month of tense interactions, Ben couldn't take it anymore. Every time he called, she dutifully came and helped. She was always so patient and friendly, with her huge, warm eyes and a smile that lit up every room she entered. Somehow, he hadn't scared her off or made her hate him. It baffled him. 

 

Worse yet, she still got close to him frequently, as though testing how close she could get to him without him snapping at her. He was embarrassed to admit that she could get closer than anyone else since he had been letting her in by degrees. No one else was so persistent.

 

“Why do you keep doing this?” he finally asked as she was about to leave his office. 

 

Him asking her then had  _ nothing  _ to do with his feeling alone after she left every time. Absolutely nothing.

 

“Doing what? My job?” she asked, confused.

 

“Yes and no. You clearly love your job, but why are you still so friendly to me when you come? You should hate me, just as you should hate all the people who pull these stupid pranks on me and force you to come up here so frequently. They're hurting you by forcing you to deal with me.”

 

She blinked. “Hate them? Why would I-”

 

She cut herself off as she fully understood what he asked.

 

“I don't hate them any more than it hurts me to come up here and deal with you. Contrary to what you may think, I don't hate you. I did at first, but you clearly have your own issues, just like me,” she said with shrug. “I don't care and can understand. If you ever want to talk about them, let me know.”

 

He tried to speak but found himself unable to.  Eventually he said, “You should hate me.”

 

“Why? Because you don't like the same things as me? Because you called me out for something that is true?”

 

All his bluster faded at her soft words. “Yes.”

 

“Well, you're wrong.”

 

“I can see that. But why continue to treat me so…. Compassionately?” he asked finally.

 

“Because like you, I was hurt by someone close to me growing up. I get it. We've just dealt with it differently. I prefer to share the love and affection I’ve always wanted, so no one has to feel like me. You're the opposite. Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before leaving with a tentative smile.

 

He stared without seeing for some time after she left. He thought long and hard about what she said until the next time he was forced to ask for her help. He was still amazed at how many ways his coworkers found to screw with his stuff. 

 

When she came up again to his office, he was more calm than tense. He put up a hand to speak before she entered.

 

“I apologize about the other day. I've gone and done the one thing everyone does to me: judged you and treated you unfairly. I was afraid of you and wanted to push you far away from me.”

 

A brilliant smile filled her face as she entered his office. She stepped up to his desk and placed her hands on his desk. 

 

“Apology accepted.”

 

He felt as though the sun were shining in his windowless office. Her happiness was palpable as she stepped around his desk to see what was wrong that day. The smile curled into something else as she leaned in much closer.

 

“Just keep in mind that your computer problems won't stop because you apologized. Also, now that we're friends, real friends, get used to this,” she whispered. 

 

He turned out of surprise and annoyance, only to see the playful smirk on her face as she moved away slowly. He didn't think he'd ever like that look, but on her, it felt like…. Coming home, in a strange way. She understood him. He could trust her, he realized. She wasn't looking for a mate or lost affection from him; she just wanted friendship, to explore their connection from past experiences. He breathed a little easier as more tension left him.

 

“We'll see.”

 

She only smiled wider. Before she left the office, she remarked, “I think you and I are going to be good friends. I'll try to give you more space, but I don't make promises.”

 

“You don't need to,” he said softly, looking away. “I'm getting used to you. Just don't get your hopes up or push your luck.”

 

“Thank you. I won't,” she replied, giving him a small wave goodbye. 

 

The amount of pranks pulled on him did decrease, but it didn't stop his seeing Rey consistently. If anything, he saw her more. When he realized that he was speaking to her at least once a day, even if only in passing, it finally got through to him that she seemed to like him. She was a rarity. 

 

He got more comfortable around her as a result. He even greeted her on occasion. He was no longer tense around her, and others noticed, timing their visits when Rey was already in the room. He was less likely to blow up in their faces then. Some prayed that he had technical difficulties while in meetings, in the hope that Rey would be called in. 

 

Ben hadn't believed that rumor until he finally saw it in action. That day, PowerPoint wasn't working, so he kicked his desk before calling Rey. When she breezed in, he noticed that he didn't feel as stressed as before. His focus was still on his meeting, and he could tell that Mitaka was  _ much  _ less nervous once Rey entered. 

 

It was the familiar, almost intimate way she walked into his office, as though she were at home in his office, that struck him. She had started leaving certain implements and pens in his office so she had them ready for troubleshooting, and she would just let herself in and sidle up next to Ben. No one had ever acted like that around him before, and that was the refrain running through his head as she leaned in, making him stop talking.

 

“So, what part of the world is ruined beyond repair today?” she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder as his heart pounded excitedly. He was starting to look forward to the little touches on his shoulders and arms, to the way she acknowledged him and wanted to be close to him despite all that she knew.

 

“PowerPoint. It doesn't exist on my computer anymore,” he grumbled.

 

“Let me see,” she said, leaning over his hands and arms.

 

As she did so, he got a rush. Every time he could smell her in some way up close, it happened now. It had never happened with anyone else before, just her. 

 

After a series of clicks and a quick tutorial, PowerPoint was open and working again. 

 

“All's right with the world once more. Let me know if anything else happens, alright?”

 

He nodded, unable to speak when she was that close and touching him. Once she was out of the office, he was in a good mood. He could tell because Mitaka was still nowhere near as nervous as he usually was. When Mitaka left, he didn't cower as he had done every other time he left. It was definitely because of Rey.

 

“ _ Gotta get up; I gotta get up. Move!” _

 

Once he paid more attention to Rey and his response to her, he could see that familiarity in all their interactions. He was moving toward having a real relationship with her.

 

When she came in to help with an excel issue, she happened to glance at all the numbers and made an insightful comment about it. From that point on, his already high respect for her increased, and he opened up to her more, especially about work. It had taken six months to get to that level, but he was happy with it. He liked having a friend, someone to talk to besides his future mate. 

 

His connection to Rey was special to him. Every time he watched Rey grow a little sad as she watched mates interact, he wanted to go to her and give her hope and comfort that she would find someone.

 

When he finally gave in to the impulse, putting a tentative hand on her sweater-clad shoulder, he whispered, “One day. You're not alone right now, though.”

 

Her breath grew shallow as she turned to face him, her eyes growing lighter with just a hint of wetness. The smile she gave him made him decide that he would  _ always _ comfort her after that. She was worth it, and he wanted to be able to give her something for once. Yes, the contact between them gave him something warm and tangible that he was beginning to crave, but all of his energy was focused on her, on making her happy.

 

“Neither are you,” she said softly, turning away from the scene and focusing on him. “Thank you.”

 

Ben was certain in that moment that if he ever did decide to marry someone who was not his mate, it would be Rey. He didn't know how it would be possible to go without his mate, but what they had was steadily growing more important to him. Seeing her look and response to him only further convinced him that she felt it, too. She hadn't seen him as a future mate before, but now, he didn't care if she did.

 

After that, she lingered in his office more often. He even made up an excuse to call her once, using an old problem. She didn't care; she was happy beside him. 

 

It was a few weeks later at an office party when everything changed. Rey had been dancing, her loose hair flying about and making her seem more alive, and he was standing in the corner as always. When she left the dance floor and headed toward the drink table near him, she waved at him excitedly, encouraging him to dance with her. In her distraction, she missed a cord running along the floor, and she tripped.

 

He rushed to her side, kneeling worriedly beside her.

 

“Rey. Does anything hurt?”

 

“Just my ankle, I think,” she said through clenched teeth as she tried to put weight on it.

 

Worry and self-loathing filled him as he tried to help.

 

“Let's get you up,” he said, reaching out a hand to help her stand. “Once you're sitting with your foot up, I'll get ice-”

 

He stopped when her cold hand slipped into his warm one. The skin was soft beside the occasional callous, and her grip was sure as she spread out her hand and gripped his tightly without fear. This touch felt real, welcomed in every sense. It felt as though she really wanted him. The sense of wanting and acceptance was only amplified in his eyes as she gazed at him.

 

He saw a look of surprise there as she took in what she saw. He brought forward his other hand, and she eagerly grabbed it, despite her eyes not leaving his. As they got up, both felt as though the environment around them had melted away, all sense of time or other people gone. There was only that special spot where their fingers intertwined. 

 

As she tried to stand on her hurt ankle, Rey hissed. He pulled his right hand away, much to her displeasure, and then he started to pull his left hand away. He continued to watch her face, marveling at how much she seemed to hate losing their connection. 

 

When only their fingertips were touching, he gave her a searching look. Her eyes jumped between his hands, looking forlorn at the lack of contact.

 

“What is this?” he asked with wonder, trying to understand why he wanted  _ more _ . So much more. It scared him that he wanted to grab her hands again so badly. 

 

“I don't know, but I want more of it,” she replied, closing the distance between their hands. The wide hands narrowed as the hands rested against one another. “Do you want this?”

 

“Yes. It's the strangest thing. I've never wanted this before,” he said grabbing her hands and bringing them to his waist, resting on top of his blue suit jacket. “Most of all, I want you.”

 

He had been afraid that she'd hate him for saying such a thing, but she surprised him yet again. 

 

“Lean forward,” she commanded suddenly. 

 

“Why, oh!”

 

As soon as he got close enough, her hands escaped their environs and pulled his face to hers, kissing him with everything within her. Both knew that no fireworks had occurred within the room, but it felt as though something had been awakened within them both, a new sense of purpose and joy as they pulled apart to breathe from their messy first kiss.

 

“I want much more of that,” he said, making her smile. 

 

“Not as much as I want you,” she returned. 

 

As they kissed again, the office around them exploded in excitement, happy for Rey. Neither noticed. As they pulled apart again, Ben said in a rush, “I was beginning to think I didn't have a mate. It didn't matter, though. I liked you before this, just as you were. You have to know.”

 

Her breath caught in her throat. She nodded and smiled before she could gather her thoughts enough to speak.

 

“All I had wanted was to be your friend. I never understood why I was so comfortable with you.”

 

“Same here,” he said. “You were always special, and now I want everything with you. My mate.”

 

“You think so, too?” she asked curiously, her hands running through the dark hair she had yearned to touch.

 

“No, I  _ know  _ so,” he replied with a grin. “I've never been so sure of anything in my life. This connection we shared just got better somehow. You're mine.”

 

Rey's heart soared at finally being claimed, in being wanted by someone, regardless of their status as mates. 

 

“I've always wanted to belong to someone,” she said with joy, leaning against his chest to help her ankle. “I'm so glad you're mine, too.”

 

Her arms encircled him, and he pulled her tightly against himself. 

 

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
